In the News

For Americans seeking a little retail therapy after a stressful election season, help is on the way. But it’s not all about the stampede-inducing sales on Black Friday: Big-box stores and online marketplaces turn some of their profits into political clout through hefty campaign contributions and lobbying. The companies below use a variety of strategies to…

Recently ousted Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) will be following in the path of numerous former colleagues from the 113th Congress to more lucrative careers at powerhouse lobbying firms, it was announced Tuesday. Landrieu, who is joining Van Ness Feldman LLP (along with her executive assistant, Marianna Knister) as a senior policy advisor, said in a press…

It’s the steal of the century. For the price of buying a condo in Washington, D.C., you can support the political campaigns of members of Congress who support your trillion-dollar program. Talk about return on investment!

The federal government’s selection of Boeing to build the next generation of Air Force aerial refueling tankers comes after years of contentious fighting that’s resulted in sky-high lobbying spending and accelerated campaign contributions to key politicians.

The political action committee of L-3 Communications — one of the two defense contractors behind the full-body scanning machines now used in more than 60 U.S. airports — has doled out more political cash this election cycle than at any other time, the Center for Responsive Politics has found.

With the National Football League season upon us, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame having recently enshrined its class of 2010, it’s worth noting that just one inductee has ever used his vast wealth to make a reportable federal campaign donation.

A Center for Responsive Politics analysis indicates that indicted lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti and his spouses together donated more than $792,000 to federal-level candidates and political committees since the 1990 election cycle.

In Washington, D.C., the city is effectively shut down, as is the Center for Responsive Politics, as bona fide blizzard conditions persist. The federal Office of Personnel Management estimates that the storms have so far cost taxpayers $350 million in lost productivity

PROBE OF DICKS, MORAN AND MURTHA CONCLUDES: The Office of Congressional Ethics has closed its investigation of Reps. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Jim Moran (D-Va.) and John Murtha (D-Pa.) and their relationship with now-defunct lobbying firm PMA Group.

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